Wards of Darkwell
Wards The city is divided into five wards, each managed and governed by a warder. The Council of Warders meets weekly to discuss city issues and, more or less, rules the city. Theirs is a very limited power, however, for they can make no decision regarding the city that violates the Darkwell Accord or any of the treaties and agreements made with the Guardians. Each ward has an atmosphere all its own, but some things are true throughout the city. Wherever you go in Darkwell, you are likely to find dozens upon dozens of statues seemingly staring at you. There are statues on pedestals wherever traffic will allow, busts placed on all the cornices, and reliefs carved into the façades, molding, framework, and foundations of every building. Portal Ward The Portal Ward is the central hub of the city, where most of the people live and work. When visitors come to the city, this is where they always go first. Built around the Grand Portal itself, wherever you are in this ward, you can see this strangely shaped spire. The cobblestone streets wind up and around the hill from which the tower rises, creating an almost spiral path amid shops and homes built in an older time, when the city was not divided into wards. The buildings are mostly made of gray stone and are old enough that most of the woodwork involved, particularly the wood shingle roofs, have been replaced several times. You won’t find many abandoned or run-down buildings here in the hub of the city. Although old, the buildings are well kept. Statuary in the Portal Ward tends toward the classical, the figures appearing hale and hardy—in the peak of health and vigor. The nicely maintained cobblestone streets—almost always filled with throngs of people—are kept free of trash or waste by well-paid city workers. Visitors here can find all manner of shops, not to mention the largest concentration of inns and taverns in the city. * The Grand Portal: This huge, dwarf-built tower lies at the center of the ward and of the entire city. City streets spiral out from this strangely built tower, the doorway of which marks the start of the final leg of the trek known as the Darkwalk—the path from the land of the living to the land of the dead. The Grand Portal is two hundred feet high, made of black basalt, and decorated with silver gilt. Like all the other buildings, it is covered with statuary. Vague shapes seem to rise up and out of the dark tower, but the details seem to be different to every eye. Some people see gargoyles, others angels, demons, or simply people—it is considered a very good omen to see the image of someone you love among the shapes on the Grand Portal. Most of the building is a single open room entered immediately upon crossing its threshold. A huge spiral stair leads down into the earth in the center of this large chamber, guarded by 10 elite Deathwarden dwarves. This is the beginning of the path to the Shroud of Spirits and the Undercity. Only those with business underneath can access the true Darkwell. * Temple to Ghaji Seramithra: The two main temples in the city are located in this ward, near the Grand Portal itself. Each is a vast complex staffed by clerics, acolytes, laypeople, and guardians. Seramithra’s temple is a tall, sweeping structure with white marble pillars and painted statues of the hundreds of saints devoted to the god. It is sometimes called the House of Dead. The staff of this temple has a policy of helping anyone in need, particularly ghosts. * The Registry: This small, simple building sitting in the shadow of the Temple to Seramithra is often the first stop for any visitor to Darkwell. Notes, sealed letters, small trinkets, and messages of all descriptions hang from every inch of wall, ceiling, and rafter space. These are notes left by ghosts who, newly arrived in the city, want to leave a message for any living friends or relatives who might follow them to Darkwell. Without some clue, it could take these people the rest of their own lives to actually find a particular individual in such a large city. * Hall of Farewell: If you’re searching for a ghost in Darkwell but are having no luck, the Hall of Farewell may be able to aid you. * The Bank of Darkwell: This large edifice appears to be well guarded. The impressive, marble structure is covered with symbolically protective statuary. The door frames are formed by images of burly warriors, the window frames consist of watchful sentries, and the columns and molding bear the images of mighty spellcasters. All these figures seem completely and eternally focused on safeguarding the institution. But security is much more than symbolic at the Bank of Darkwell. A staff of a dozen professional guards. The Bank of Darkwell is no normal loan institution or depository. Wealthy individuals make deposits here to be drawn upon after their death by their ghosts. Only those with a special password (known only to the bank and the depositor) can get access to the funds. The bank does make loans, but only to ghosts who have found themselves in Darkwell without having had the forethought (or funds) to deposit money there ahead of time. The loan rate is 10%, compounded monthly, but a penniless ghost on the streets of the city sometimes finds himself in need of cash (although some ghosts get along just fine without it). Wooded Ward A mostly residential district, the Wooded Ward is located on the eastern end of the city, near the edge of the Spirit Wood. The buildingshere are mostly made of wood, and the streets are dirt rather than cobblestone. There are fewer actual statues in this ward than any other, but most houses have reliefs carved into their façade. In this way, the imagery of the Wooded Ward is the most reflective of modern sensibilities. Trees still grow among the buildings, and the whole ward has a healthy, natural feeling, generally free of the smells of the city. The streets of the Wooded Ward are rarely crowded—a few vendors hawk wares amid the pedestrians, selling fresh baked goods, colorful clothing, or freshly sharpened cutlery from carts they wheel throughout the district. * Walker’s Bowery: Undari Walker (female, halfling) runs a shop that carries only materials directly attached to the making and use of bows and arrows. She produces fine quality stock, particularly her masterwork and mighty (and, of course, mighty masterwork) bows. * Lumber Yard: Red Heddrick (male dwarf), a muscular, red-haired dwarf missing two fingers on his right hand, runs this lumberyard with great care. * The Blueleaf: This tavern is a good-sized establishment that serves food as well as ale. Its exterior is carved with a detailed forest scene in which it is often difficult at first glance to tell whether a particular figure is an elf or a tree. * Laphen’s House: There is no sign to mark it—you have to know where you’re going to find Laphen, a powerful sorcerer. Laphen (male elf) works as a sage and a spellcaster for hire. He knows a wide variety of useful spells and has a large collection of scrolls for spells he does not know. Laphen casts spells for others, and even makes items of arcane to order. Tombs Ward This ward consists of long, low buildings that follow one after another seemingly to the horizon. These structures might be mistaken for warehouses—and after a fashion, they are. More accurately, they should be called crypts, for this is where bodies are brought to lie in state until the Deathwarden dwarves come to cart them down to theShroud of Spirits. The statuary in the Tombyards is the most somber of all the wards—some call this style “morbid,” as the figures look like ones found decorating graveyards and mausoleums in other parts of the world. Still, you will find no skeletons or other figures that could be misconstrued to be undead creatures. This is a place of peace and repose. The ward’s visitors are often shaken by grief, and everything about the buildings is designed to provide solace and silent support. The Tombyards is a grim, quiet place, and most people claim that, despite the spells that should prevent it, it smells of death and decay. The buildings are often of gray stone and are either long warehouse like crypts or tall, angular buildings with steep-sloped, shingled roofs. The streets are dry, finely-packed earth, which churns up a fair amount of dust. During the day, the place is filled with Morticians’ Guild members, mourners, and at night, ghosts looking for their bodies. Tomb robbers prowl the shadows between the warehouse crypts at night, attempting to break in. * The Gray House: The Tombyards is home to the headquarters of the Guild of Morticians. This huge, gothic manor sits on a hill overlooking the ward, and you can see it from almost anywhere in the Tombyards. It is surrounded by other homes (belonging mostly to prominent morticians). The framework and other decorative parts of the façade are fitted with statues of guild members going about their craft. (Vertical lines are usually tall, gaunt, well-dressed morticians, while horizontal lines are generally in the shape of coffins or extremely well-tended and peaceful-looking corpses.) The Gray House is deceptively well guarded. * Rest: This tavern caters to morticians and is the center of news and gossip involving the guild. Outsiders are looked upon with disdain and suspicion; they often find themselves being stared at by every eye in the suddenly silent room. But those who are patient and unobtrusive enough to mingle well can usually overhear important news and rumors concerning the guild. Run by Terrane Kistolnob (male gnome) * The Lair: Run by Tar Tunnis (male half-orc), this secret set of rooms beneath an otherwise typical crypt serves as a sanctuary and a hiding place for members of the bestial races that come to Darkwell—if they can afford to pay Tar’s price (a steep 10 gp per night). But most of his patrons, who are generally desperate to avoid confrontation with the city’s main inhabitants or the City Watch, pay gladly. Market Ward The smallest and newest section of the city, the Merchant Ward was once a residential section of Spirit Hill. After a fire ravaged the entire section about eight years ago, merchants began building shops and service houses in the area. Soon, it was declared its own ward under Hervest Mul (male halfling ghost), an unfortunate soul who lost his home and his life in the flames. Hervest is still the warder today. He usually stays out of controversial political issues, focusing his efforts on the only love he retains from life: making money. The Merchant Ward has the look and feel of any mercantile district, aside from the presence of ghosts at night, of course. Shops of stone and wood are built along wide cobblestone streets made narrow by the presence of vendors with wooden stands and carts. Statuary in the Merchant Ward tries to capture the essence of daily life. It shows figures involved in all sorts of activities, most notably shopping. The ward teems with people during the day, but is mostly quiet at night. The City Watch patrols here frequently and in great numbers, looking for thieves. This might be the newest ward, but it is also the one Darkwell depends on for future growth. * Herbal Elixirs: This establishment sells potions, as well as less costly (and far less effective) herbal remedies and other concoctions * Blackbottle's and Hardcase: '''A customer tannery and leather shop, B&H's offers only the finest of goods with high quality dwarvish craftsmanship.Located on the backstreet of Market Ward, the long multi-storied building has three chimneys to reduce the chemical smell from the small scale tanning. Partner Otto Blackbottle and Theodred 'Teddy' Hardcase work together to create a profitable business. Otto (Male Halfling) has a wire brush mustacheand slick black hair. He serves as the business manager and salesman for the business. Middle aged and a former Halfhand fence turned legit. He always strikes a shrewd bargain. Theodred 'Teddy' Hardcase is a dwarf craftsmen of the highest caliber. Teddy comes from a family of traveling craftsmen but opted to plant his roots and stake his fortune on a shop in Darkwell. A gruff, older dwarf Teddy has seen his share of hard living. His grey white hair and beard give away his age. The pair are members of the Merchant League in the city and also have connection to a less savory element, from their past lives. * '''Erned, Scribe: Ashton Erned (male halfling) lives and works in this small shop, creating and selling scrolls. He once did other scribe work, but gave it up for the much more lucrative trade of scroll making. * Chason’s Cheese: This simple cheese shop and dairy is actually a front for a criminal gang that works in burglary, mugging, and occasionally extortion. Chason (male halfling) is both proprietor and head of the gang. There’s a secret room in the back that they use for a hideout and a place to stash loot. Chason and his followers are not members of the Half Hands and thus must hide from both the authorities and the guild. One statue on each wall of the building’s facade has peepholes set into its eyes to allow Chason to keep an eye on the street outside. In the past year, Chason has become a mid range information broker. He seems to have developed a knack for getting information from Vardenwall and Voldarohl weeks sometimes months in advance. No one knows his carefully guarded secret, but his network of information within the city has also grown. Chason is often seen in the company of Ghost Scholar and Necromancer Alaek Azaam, who is known to be an expert of dwarvish culture and history. * The Callers: This messenger service takes packages or messages anywhere in Manifest for a cost of 1 sp per package weighing up to 5 pounds. * The Tinshop: Ostensibly the shop of a tinsmith, this is actually the workshop of a number of gnomes who construct shellcraft manikins for ghosts to inhabit. This is a fairly new invention, and the gnomes are not entirely sure of the legality of it. Thus, they operate from the tinshop and sell their incredibly expensive (they start at 550 gp) inventions to wealthy ghosts. Spirit Hill Ward No one remembers why or when Spirit Hill got its name, although it doesn’t seem too hard to imagine, at least in general. But the truth is that this area was named long before it became the neighborhood of choice for the non living community in Darkwell. Today, most ghosts “live” in Spirit Hill, either wandering its cobblestone streets at night or hiring a small room—usually nothing much more than a closet or even a drawer, unless they feel the need to surround themselves with the comforts of their former lives. The ward has its fair share of living residents, as well, but these are usually families that cannot afford to live in the more fashionable districts. * Heldon’s Dreams: Ghosts who want to recall the comforts of their former lives often go to this inn. Heldon’s Dreams specializes in using magical illusions to satisfy the needs of its ghostly clientele. For 10 gp per night, a ghost can sleep in his childhood bed, or the bedchamber of the king, attended by illusory servants. Heldon’s is known by its detractors as “the loneliest place in the world.” * Ustis’s Bakery: Almost every living resident of Spirit Hill (and more than a few of the ghostly ones, as well) makes a stop at Ustis’s Bakery every day. Talla Ustis (female gnome ghost) is renowned for making the freshest, most delicious breads and pastries in the whole of Darkwell. Talla is welcoming and friendly, not at all hesitant to use her telekinetic powers to aid her in her work. * The Tower Theater: Built near the very top of Spirit Hill, this old building is a theater that has weekly performances—alternating between tragedies, comedies, and musical acts. Although traveling minstrels occasionally come here, usually it is the regular “Tower Troupe” performing. Admission is 1 cp for standing room, 2 cp for a seat. Yanthis Havech (male halfling) is the manager of the theater and the leader of the Tower Troupe. The interior is decorated with statues of famous bards and actors dressed in the costumes of characters they were particularly fond of playing.